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2nd LAKE HAVASU SMALL SAILBOAT CRUISE - 2026On the water FEB 23 through FEB 27
by Doug Kelch
I realize that this is a long drive for many of you so stay on the water on your own for a second week. By the end of the 5 days you will have enough local experience to continue for another week or so.
The event is planned as a relaxed winter break affair intended to promote dinghy cruising.
GENERAL INFO
Doug is our cruise director doing the planning and for registration and communication.
This is a loosely organized casual cruise. The we assume no responsibility for your safety. Skippers are fully responsible for their vessel and crew.
Boat-in-beach capacity limits the number of sailboats to about 10. Small sailboats only please. Shallow draft is best for hauling up near or on the beach.
That time of year the average high is 75°F, lows are in the 50s, or even 40s. Nights can be really chilly. Come prepared. Rare holdover winter rain may pass through.
Winds are typical lake-based spring breezes. However, be warned, stronger winds and gusts can be severe and may seemingly come out of nowhere. Keep that mainsheet handy.
The entire lake is 30 miles long. We will primarily be down in the Southern part of the lake.
The lake shoreline is somewhat primitive with no villages or people on the AZ side. Skippers and crew must be self-sufficient.
The NE side of the lake is in AZ. It has all of the developed boat-in-only campsites with vault toilets, picnic tables, sandy beaches and trash bins. It’s considered by many as the best boat-in camping in AZ.
Most of the CA side is the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation. It has few if any soft-landing areas, but does have a small population of mobile homes (Havasu Springs, Havasu Palms), and an RV park across from Three Dunes Campground (Black Meadow Landing). These two locations have limited facilities with small stores. Plan on being self-sufficient for the entire trip.
Fuel is available at several locations on the lake. But they are about 10 miles apart. So be aware. Please do your research.
CAMPGROUND NOTES
It is preferred that you haul out your own trash, but a crew does keep things tidy.
The sites have no water so bring your own. It is a fresh water lake. Water purifying filter kits can be used to replenish your potable water.
The overnight camp sites we plan to visit have limited capacity. They have a few amenities including vault toilets. However, we may use an alternate site that has no facilities. Remember to bring your own toilet paper.
Camp Fires are allowed in containers that let you remove the coals in the AM.
Bring your own seating.
ITINERARY ( Revised 1/19/2026 (See map below)
The itinerary will be confirmed based on the weather forecast prior to our departure. It may also fluctuate as needed (weather, prior campsite occupancy, etc.). Either way the itinerary will allow lots of time for personal sailing and exploration along the rugged coast, or on the more open water south of us.
Overnighting Saturday and/or Sunday before our Monday night rendezvous:
1. Hotels and Motels are available in Lake Havasu City, AZ and elsewhere like Needles, CA.
2. Camp at the Standard Wash Area, BLM Campground. It is only 5 ½ miles from Cattail Cove State Park entrance. 7001-AZ 95 on Google Earth Google Earth.
3. The nearest boat-in only site from Cattail Cove State Park at 34°21'19"N 114°10'34"W Google Earth. Rattlesnake Cove has 4 sites (“Rattlesnake 1” on map below). The closest one is a nice private 2 boat site only ½ mile (as the boat motors, not the crow) from the Cattail Cove launch ramp. There are 3 other sites around the shore line of the Cove.
Monday - launch from Cattail Cove State Park | Arizona
Monday night – Three Dunes Campground Cove 1 ½ miles from Cattail launch ramp. It’s located on 293 degrees True coursed from the buoy at the end of the Cattail cove dock. We will have a full meet and greet there with a campfire and grape juice. We will stay here Monday and Tuesday night
Tuesday a day sail though the narrow high cliffs on the NW towards Steamboat Cove and will visit there just because of its notoriety. Steamboat Cove has some nice sites, but is very popular. All sites are on a first-come first-serve basis. On Wed AM we will have a skippers meeting to clarifiy the days destination to the SE. Wherever we end up will be for one night. Then Thursday AM we will sail to Havasu Springs and possibly stop for lunch. Thursday night we well be at one of the Bill William campsites. If Anyone wants to practice their night sailing skills this is a good location as there is good visibility with no obstructions. This leaves an 8 mile return to Cattail Cove on Friday. VHF radios and cell phones will help us communicate.
FEEs
We will launch from Cattail Cove State Park | Arizona which is $15 a day for parking a vehicle with trailer in the long-term parking area.
The dock is relatively short and will hold about three 20ft boats for a short period. If you are at the dock and will be waiting for other people there is a sandy beach area to land the boat just past the buoyed swimming area to the North. If you don't want to land you can heave to or park 50 yards off the dock.
The fee for each day-use site is $10 per day. There’s an additional $10 fee for overnighting ashore or on your boat for a total of $20. This covers the first 6 people. If there are more than 6 in the group every additional person pays $2 per day and $2 per night for a total of $4 per extra person.
Each site will likely hold 2 or 3 boats and 1 or 2 tents.
You pay the iron ranger in cash or by check at each site. Or, you can buy a yearly pass for non-residents for $100. Arizona State Parks Annual Pass Cost: What You Need To Know
SKIPPER REQUIREMENTS
Each skipper is entirely responsible for the safety of their craft and their crew.
This is an unsupported primitive cruise. Each skipper and crew must be self-supporting and safety conscience.
Skippers must be able to navigate to specific locations along a rugged and irregular shore. Each skipper must carry a Lake Havasu fishing map. Available online at https://fishnmap.com/,
or buy one from a local sporting goods store.
Local cell service is generally good, but it can be intermittent when sailing between high cliffs. We will provide a list of useful cell phone numbers. We will also be monitoring the Marine VHF channels 16, 9 and 72 so make sure you can keep your devices charged for the week.
Lake Havasu is a cold-water lake and a man overboard or a capsize is a serious event. The water will be in the 50°F range (10°C). You can become incapacitated within 7 to 10 minutes. If you are sailing solo, you might consider trailing a long floating line with a fluorescent object on the end so you can quickly get back to the boat; and/or use a safety harness.
A waterproof vhf attached to your life jacket is also a very good idea.
In general, anchoring is to shore off sandy beaches. Most use a shore tie and an anchor in the water. You may camp on the beach or sleep on your boat. Please come prepared to secure your craft safely overnight. If you anchor free of the shore the your main anchor should reset and hold in a 180° wind shift.
REGISTRATION (your action and updates are requested asap)
We’re planning for about 10 small sailboats. If more are committed, we’ll have to think through some of the logistics again. So, sign-up is on a first-come-first-serve basis. If interested or committed please respond to Doug Kelch’s message with the following information:
Skipper’s Name
Number aboard each vessel (skipper plus crew)
Skipper’s cell number (optional)
Home Port (where you hail from)
Sailboat description (type, length and name)
Interested/Committed (state one or the other). S will maintain both the list and communicate updates one-on-one, or as a group, when needed. Provide any status changes to Doug asap.
For quicker access perhaps consider sending your cell number to Doug. He will keep it confidential.
Join Dinghy Cruising the Americas Facebook to see Doug’s posts regarding camp sailing the lake https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GiBdgDkoh/ (Search “Lake Havasu”).
Here is Doug’s 2025 Lake Havasu Small Sailboat Cruise Report https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17QL8sDBif/
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Cattail Cove State Park, Cat Tail Cove, Havasu Lake, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86406, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
